Osteopathic Research Web

Exploring the relationship between empathy and preferred treatment modality in Osteopathic students – a questionnaire based study

Item

Title

Exploring the relationship between empathy and preferred treatment modality in Osteopathic students – a questionnaire based study

Author(s)

Botfield, T

Abstract

Background: Unlike orthodox medicine, little research has been done into the psychological profiles of osteopaths, or how this affects treatment given. If threre was greater understanding of the mental processes behind styles of treatment, targeted education to improve the treatment repertoire of the practitioner can be conducted, to encourage a more holistic approach with the patient, with regards to both clinical and interpersonal interactions. Objective: To answer the question: Does the level of empathy in an Osteopath influence the types of techniques used by the practitioner? Design: Comparison of unmatched pairs using one-way ANOVA to investigate the level of empathy (IV) on the preferred treatment modality (DV) and the effects of confounding variables tested with t-test and Pearson’s rank.Methods: Students undertaking years 3 and 4 of their osteopathic training at the European school of osteopathy (ESO), as well as recent graduates were selected. A URL link to a Google forms questionnaire was advertised on social media forums pertaining to each year group. Students who were not in these years of study or practice were excluded. The questionnaire contained a peer reviewed psychometric test which was used to calculate empathy scores for each participant, and bespoke questions, designed by this author, determined preferred treatment modality (PTM). The participants were divided into groups of PTM based off a structural, functional, or mixed approach. One-way ANOVA testing was used to check for a significant difference between the groups. Results: No significant difference in EQ scores between structural (n=12), functional (n=7), or mixed (n=17) preference groups. Significant difference between gender groups. Discussion and conclusion: The individual, clinical and educational implications of this research suggest further investigation is required to fully understand the mechanism behind treatment choice. While the literature background reinforces the importance of empathy for patient and practitioner within different branches of healthcare, there is no evidence to suggest a role of empathy in clinical decision making. Should a link be found at a later time, changes to current osteopathic training to encourage a holistic approach to treatment would be possible, resulting in an improvement to the quality of care for the patient, however insufficient data is currently available, necessitating further investigation.

presented at

European School of Osteopathy

Date Accepted

2018

Date Submitted

25.1.2019 17:18:24

Type

osteo_thesis

Language

English

Submitted by:

62

Pub-Identifier

16388

Inst-Identifier

1229

Keywords

Cambridge behaviour scales

Recommended

0

Item sets

Thesis

Botfield, T, “Exploring the relationship between empathy and preferred treatment modality in Osteopathic students – a questionnaire based study”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 2, 2025, https://www.osteopathic-research.com/s/orw/item/218